A 22-year-old man received a double lung transplant this month after spending 70 days on life support. Jackson Allard from North Dakota initially went to the emergency room for a stomach ache in October but ended up being admitted to the hospital due to low oxygen levels. The information was first reported by Valley News Live based on a GoFundMe page created by a friend of Allard’s family. Doctors in North Dakota diagnosed Allard with parainfluenza, a virus that can cause respiratory infections, which escalated to pneumonia, then acute respiratory distress syndrome — a life-threatening injury caused by fluid buildup in the lungs. Allard’s grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, mentioned that during X-rays, his entire lung was filled with fluid, making his heart invisible. She mentioned that Allard had been using e-cigarettes since his teenage years but started to vape more heavily recently. According to Hurlburt, “He had no idea how bad it was for him.”
Scientists have yet to fully understand the link between vaping and lung disease, and it’s uncertain what role vaping played in Allard’s situation. Some studies suggest that using e-cigarettes may increase susceptibility to respiratory tract infections. Dr. Brian Keller, medical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Lung Transplantation Program, stated that research involving animals and human cells has indicated that e-cigarette use can harm blood vessels and lung lining cells. However, experts are still figuring out which compounds in e-cigarettes are most detrimental to human health. Keller added, “There’s actually several that can cause damage. This includes the nicotine itself, but also the burning of a carrier fluid like propylene glycol or glycerol, as well as the flavoring that a lot of people add to their vaping device.”
Allard’s doctors suspected that his e-cigarette use hindered his recovery from the initial viral infection. His mother, Jaime Foertsch, mentioned that Allard was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) before being airlifted to M Health Fairview in Minnesota at the end of October, where he had the longest ECMO machine stay in the hospital’s history. To be eligible for a transplant, Allard needed to come off sedation and be able to walk. However, by the end of last year, he faced life-threatening challenges, including cardiac arrest and the necessity of resuscitation. Despite the odds, his family kept advocating for him, and he was eventually allocated a pair of new lungs on New Year’s Eve, receiving the transplant the following day. By January 5, he was no longer dependent on life support but remained on a ventilator in the ICU, gradually regaining strength.
Allard’s grandmother stated, “All of a sudden, it just turned around. It was just like day and night.” Although Allard still requires a ventilator, he can now move around with assistance and walk a short distance with a walker. The medical staff has described him as a “legend” and a “miracle,” and he is improving every day, with hopes of transferring to a rehabilitation facility soon. Despite still needing to re-learn how to speak, Allard can communicate, expressing gratitude towards the nurses for their efforts to save him. The rarity of lung transplants, especially for individuals under 50, is emphasized. Out of the 2,569 lung transplants performed in the U.S. in 2021, only 440 were carried out on recipients aged 18 to 49. Most vaping-related lung injuries do not result in transplants, but patients typically need respiratory support such as supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation.
Allard’s case isn’t the first of its kind, as Keller explained that very few reports of patients requiring lung transplants after vaping have been documented. The rarity of such cases is exemplified by the instance of a 17-year-old boy in Michigan receiving a transplant in 2019, who is believed to be the first case. Similarly, a 34-year-old man in Missouri required a double lung transplant last year due to a life-threatening lung infection resistant to antibiotics. The man had a history of smoking and vaping for nine years. Approximately 54% of lung transplant recipients survive for at least five years after the surgery. Allard is expected to spend around six months in Minneapolis for doctors to monitor his progress and ensure his tolerance of the transplant. His family remains hopeful for his full recovery, with his grandmother asserting, “He’s going to get his life back. We’re going to get our Jackson back.”
